LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A 20-year-old woman and a 1-year-old toddler were shot and killed in a south valley Las Vegas neighborhood on Monday, March 2, after a suspect approached their parked car and opened fire. Newly obtained 911 calls and court records detail the moments surrounding the deadly shooting.
Police say 20-year-old Danaijha Robinson and 1-year-old Nhalani Hiner were parked just off Dean Martin Drive, waiting for friends they were traveling with who had been pulled over by officers about a block away.
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According to court documents, Nhalani's mother asked Robinson to stay in the car with the baby while she and another woman went to help their friend.
Nearly an hour after the women parked, police say 22-year-old Ziaire Ham pulled into the neighborhood, waited in his car for a few minutes, then walked up to the victims' car, tried to open it, and opened fire.
A 911 caller described the moment shots rang out.
"How many shots did you hear?" the operator asked.
"Maybe like 7 ... there's girls screaming," the caller replied.
Police say Ham drove off after the shooting. Moments later, Nahlani's mother found the baby wrapped in Robinson's arms — both fighting for their lives. They died at the hospital.
Nearly a day after the shooting, police in Utah arrested Ham following a short police chase.
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While in custody, court records show Ham told police he had stolen a car in Phoenix because he had a "bounty on his head" and drove it to his mother's house in North Las Vegas the day of the shooting.
According to the documents, Ham got into an argument with his mother and her boyfriend. His mother told police he pushed her and pulled a gun on her and her boyfriend. She also told police she had not seen him in years because he had "drug" problems.
After leaving his mother's house, Ham told police he was driving to a friend's house but felt like he was being followed, so he decided to drive to the South Valley neighborhood to confirm. That is when he told police he saw the car, walked up to it, and fired.
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"That's when I lit up the car, I ain't even gonna lie," Ham told investigators.
When investigators told Ham he had shot a baby, court records show he became "hysterical."
"I didn't mean to kill that person," Ham said. "I killed a child, I killed a child."
It is not clear when Ham will be brought back to Las Vegas to face murder charges.
